Press Releases

The City of Topeka’s Public Works Department is actively monitoring the current weather
forecast, which predicts the possibility of significant snowfall in the area Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Road crews have been pretreating roads in anticipation of this storm. As weather conditions change,
crews will adapt treatment as necessary. Once the snow starts in Topeka, road crews will prioritize
clearing arterial and collector roads. The decision as to whether crews will work to treat residential
streets will be made based on the total amount of snowfall that we receive. In anticipation of the
possibility of significant snowfall, the city asks residents to park off the street where possible. For more
information about the city’s snow removal policies at

Snow Removal

To help road crews more efficiently clear snow downtown, the city will open parking garages free of
charge from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 11, and from 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Wednesday,
February 12. We encourage the public to utilize the downtown parking garages and leave on-street
parking open for snowplows to clear the parking spots during and after the storm.
To contact the city, call 785-368-3111, or report an issue using the SeeClickFix app:

SeeClickFix

City of Topeka and contracted road crews continue 24-hour snow-fighting efforts following last weekend’s record 14-inch snowfall and ice, along with additional snowfall on Thursday night. 

After completing main roads and arterials Friday morning, 21 city trucks and 6 contractor trucks have refocused efforts to treating and plowing residential streets. Crews will continue their efforts until all city streets are passable. 

Thanks to pretreatment before the January 4 and 5 snow event, main roads and collector streets were cleared more effectively than residential areas that were not pretreated. We’ve heard from many residents regarding Thursday’s update and want to reassure the public that we are actively addressing the areas that have been reported as not having received an initial pass by plows. 

The Topeka Fire Department remains fully operational, responding to fire and medical calls as usual. The Topeka Police Department continues to operate under the walk-in accident reporting phase but is responding to all other calls for service. 

We appreciate the community’s support and ask for continued patience and understanding as we address road conditions following the third largest snowfall in Topeka history. 

The City of Topeka is calling on community-minded residents to apply for the newly re-established Citizen Government Review Committee. This committee will play a vital role in examining and evaluating the City of Topeka’s form of government, with the goal of making thoughtful recommendations for potential amendments and modifications to improve its effectiveness and alignment with the community’s needs. 

The Governing Body seeks five civically minded individuals who reflect the diversity of Topeka’s population. Committee members will be tasked with a comprehensive review and analysis of current governmental structures, working collaboratively to provide insights that will shape the city’s future governance. The past Citizen Government Review Committee in 2014 helped define the current roles of the Mayor. Topeka Citizen Government Review Committees date back to 1983. Click here for more information about the roles of our Topeka Government. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Applicants must be registered voters living within Topeka city limits. 

• Candidates must be available for a substantial time commitment from January to June 2025 to attend meetings, participate in discussions, and contribute to the completion of a final report for the Governing Body. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Familiarity with the city’s governmental form is advantageous. 

• Candidates should demonstrate an ability to evaluate issues fairly and without bias. 

• Members will need to articulate ideas effectively and listen to diverse perspectives. 

• Ability to lead and work cohesively within a group is essential. 

Applications are being accepted now through December 3, 2024. Interested individuals can apply online by clicking this link. 

This month the Metropolitan Topeka Planning Organization (MTPO), in coordination with the City of Topeka, is kicking off the planning process for the Update of the City’s 2016 Pedestrian Plan. The plan’s goal is to continue creating safe and connected walkways between schools, parks, shopping districts, workplaces, and other popular destinations. Anyone interested in the walkability and connectivity of Topeka is encouraged to attend this open house from 4 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, August 21, at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 SW 10th Ave.

City staff and project professionals from JEO Consulting Group will present the open house. Displays will include areas of demand from 2016, improvements since then, improvements planned with RAISE grant funding, neighborhood health data, vehicle ownership data, usage by modality, crash data, and safe school routes. Participants will identify necessary improvements for walkability in their neighborhoods and around Topeka, such as locations for improved street crossings and sidewalk infrastructure.

A survey will gather data on factors that impact sidewalk utilization and responses will be weighted with objective condition data and socioeconomic and trip data to prioritize overall recommendations for sidewalk improvements. For those who cannot attend the open house, an online survey and mapping tool are available on the project website at https://arcg.is/0WeH9X and will remain open through September 4. The input gathered will inform the initial draft of the Topeka Pedestrian Plan Update. A second open house will occur later in 2024 to discuss the draft plan with the community.

This plan is just one piece of a more considerable effort to improve the quality of life through of vibrant neighborhoods and better transportation choices for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motorists.

For more information, visit the MTPO website at https://topekampo.org/pedestrian-master-plan/ or contact the City of Topeka Planning Department at (785) 368-3728

The City of Topeka is one of four nonprofit organizations selected as grant recipients of the Kansas Digital Equity and Inclusion Collaborative.

The City of Topeka has received $250,000 in funding. The first year of funding is spent planning and engaging with the community, and the second and third year will be spent implementing community-based plans and policies.

“This grant funding is an important step in creating digital equity for our community,” said City Manager Brent Trout. “This is the first step to eliminating the digital divide and creating better educational, economic and health environments for everyone in Topeka through digital access and literacy.”

This grant will support multi-sector community collaboratives to develop and advocate for policies, programs and services that promote greater digital access, adoption, literacy and inclusion among families of color, low-wage worker households and other Kansans experiencing systemic barriers. The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the digital divide, especially in low-income communities of color, rural and other under-resourced areas of Kansas as health services and schooling became remote.

“I am very excited about this opportunity to address any local digital divide issues we face through the support from the Kansas Health Foundation. A great team from across our community worked together to get us to this point, and each bring an individual strength, expertise and a dedicated commitment to using this moment to build out a sound strategy towards delivering digital equity & inclusion in Topeka and Shawnee County,” said Lazone Grays, a member of the digital equity work group.

“We are so very appreciative of the Kansas Health Foundation and their decision to award this grant for the Kansas Digital Equity and Inclusion Collaborative.  Our team of advocates from the City of Topeka and several community partners is so very proud to be help our neighbors access digital resources and to empower them with learning opportunities and support to use those resources for the benefit of their families.  Healthcare, Education, Shopping, Employment, Finance, and other opportunities will soon be available to every family in Topeka, and our community will be better for it!” said Scott Gowan, Chief Information Officer for Topeka Public Schools.

To help Kansas families attain the best possible educational, economic and health outcomes, high-speed digital access and literacy is necessary. This initiative will focus on a two-generation approach, so more Kansas children and adults have the opportunity for digital success in the future.

The Topeka Digital Equity Inclusion Partnership Program will create part-time technical and digital navigator positions to collect and share community-based resources and provide digital literacy training, equipment and basic technical support for minority and low-to-moderate-income communities within 31 Topeka neighborhoods.

Initial policy focus and activities will include:

• Advocacy for policies that support the collective vision of the community and local businesses;
• Advocate for digital equity policies and plans targeted to underserved Topeka residents, including low-income families and people of color;
• Implementation of policies and plans that align efforts with existing federal agency initiatives.

The City of Topeka is taking steps to finalize the purchase of Hotel Topeka at City Center, and multiple public discussions are expected in October.

During the October 17 Topeka City Council Meeting, the Governing Body will consider approving a resolution to create a not-for-profit entity known as the Topeka Development Corporation. The purpose of the corporation is to hold title to Hotel Topeka, and enables the entity to contract with a management company who will oversee day to day hotel operations. It also allows the corporation to obtain necessary licenses and property insurance.

“The formation of the Topeka Development Corporation allows us to engage in regular business operations, such as contracting with the management company to ensure a seamless transition, and to ensure hotel operations continue as normal. We want the public to know that throughout this entire transition period, and beyond, the hotel will remain open for business,” said Braxton Copley, Public Works Director and Project Manager for the City of Topeka. “We are excited about these next steps to ensure the redevelopment of this important asset, and we look forward to seeing the hotel become a vibrant attraction that will positively impact our tourism economy for years to come.”

If approved on Tuesday, documents for the corporation will be filed with the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office for official formation. Upon formation, the corporation will include a 10-person Board of Directors, consisting of the current Governing Body members.

The corporation will hold a virtual organizational meeting on October 19 at 3 p.m. to approve bylaws and necessary corporate resolutions. These steps will allow the corporation to take ownership of the hotel on October 31.

Both the October 17 and October 19 meetings are open to the public. To learn more about the meetings, including how to attend, and information on how to sign up to make public comment, visit https://www.topeka.org/calendar/.

The City of Topeka continues to move forward with the process to purchase Hotel Topeka at City Center, and involved parties have agreed to a tentative closing date.

“The process to purchase Hotel Topeka is very much in the works, and we want the community to know that the city is committed to the purchase of the hotel. The hotel remains open for business, and the Governing Body has been very clear that they intend to keep the hotel open for business after the city’s purchase has been finalized,” said Topeka Mayor Michael Padilla.

Because Hotel Topeka is in receivership, the purchase of the hotel has to be approved by the court. Following a recent Shawnee County District Court hearing on July 25, the court is reviewing the sale and an order approving the sale is expected soon. Once the court’s order is entered, the parties will proceed with closing. The parties have scheduled a tentative closing date for October 31.

“Hotel Topeka at City Center continues to operate at the court’s direction under receivership, and expects to continue booking reservations and events. The hotel will remain open to service guests throughout the entire transition to city ownership with the same level of hospitality patrons have come to expect,” said Jason Dinkens, a representative of the hotel’s current management company.

In June, the city released two requests for proposals (RFP) related to the hotel; the first for an asset manager who would oversee the hotel and any future operator, and the second, for an evaluation of the hotel’s existing facilities and systems. The RFPs have since closed, and the city received 14 responses related to the asset manager, and four responses related to the assessment. The city is currently evaluating the responses, and in the coming weeks will look to conduct interviews with finalists before negotiating and awarding contracts.

The city is meeting regularly with key stakeholders including Visit Topeka, Shawnee County and others as it works to collaboratively determine how to best re-develop the hotel.

“I applaud the City of Topeka for their proactive efforts to purchase this hotel property and keep it fully operational during a period of transition,” said Sean Dixon, president of Visit Topeka. “Thanks to the city’s work, Topeka’s future as a convention destination remains viable and is bound to exceed our expectations. Visit Topeka is committed to helping the city keep Hotel Topeka’s doors open, all while opening new doors of possibility for this community. The future of Topeka’s full-service convention hotel is looking brighter than ever.”

The City of Topeka’s Public Works Department is actively monitoring weather forecasts for this weekend, which predict a high likelihood of significant snowfall in the area. While the exact path of the storm remains uncertain, crews are taking proactive steps to ensure the city is prepared for any inclement weather.

Street Department crews are manufacturing salt brine in preparation for pretreating priority roadways. Pretreatment efforts will begin Thursday and continue into Friday. Crews are also completing the setup of equipment needed to tackle any potential snow and ice. Public Works staff will be on standby throughout the weekend to respond as conditions develop.

If the forecast proves accurate and the Topeka area receives significant snowfall or icy conditions, the city will activate a full snow response. Crews will plow and treat roadways on alternating 12-hour shifts until the weather event concludes and roads are safe for travel.

Additionally, the Topeka Rescue Mission’s Extreme Weather Taskforce is preparing for warming stations.
Information regarding the locations and hours will be released prior to the severe weather. Volunteer opportunities at the warming centers can be found here: https://www.kawvalleyvolunteers.org/

Residents are encouraged to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm and use caution when traveling in icy
conditions.

Funding is still available for the City of Topeka Small Business grant program. In 2020 the City of Topeka Housing Services Division created COVID-19 assistance programs to help small businesses in the community who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. These federal dollars have been, and continue to be a great resource to the businesses who are struggling in Topeka. The City of Topeka has helped 26 small businesses since the program started.

“We have seen a great need in our community for assistance due to the impacts of COVID-19,” said Corrie Wright, Division Director of Housing Services. “The Operation COVID-19 Assistance programs were designed to help our small businesses stay open.”

Applications for the Small Business Grant program were accepted beginning on October 1^st, 2020. Nineteen applications have been approved and 39% of the funds have been committed and paid.77% of the recipients of the grant are minority or woman owned businesses. The average grant for approved applicants is $19,090.

The Small Business Grant Program provides operating assistance to sole proprietors and business owners employing 1-25 persons as of March 1^st 2020 to keep residents employed. For a business to qualify for this grant they must be owned, or employ low to moderate income persons and demonstrate a need. Applicants can apply up to $20,000 in assistance and are eligible for expenses including payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, loss of inventory or COVID related purchases.

More information on the COVID assistance programs can be found on the City of Topeka website. https://www.topeka.org/housing-services/covid-assistance-programs/

You can view the full report on the COVID Assistance Programs here: https://cot-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/planning/HSRptJan2021.pdf